The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-03-23
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Mar. llth, 1887.

WARRINGTON, Mar. l1th, 1887.
although the marble halls of the
Capitol were deserted by our lawmakers
q week ago, many of them still linger in
Washington, and will continue here for
months to come. The northern repres-
entatives are loath 10 leave the mild eli
mate of the Capital at this season of the
year, are always disposed to remain here
congress or no congress until" rs one
ofthem remaFked, "itthaws out at home."
The air Is still full of extra session talk.
Democratic members of Congress- and
Others who have means of knowledge on
the subject, do not now believe that the
tiitieth congress will be called together
soon, but that an extra session in the
early autumn is an evil that ought to be
faced. The house ofrepr, sentatives that
was elected in November last, entered
upon its official existence en- the 4th of
this month, and its members are now
under pay. They are doing no service
and without organization are incapable
fdoing any. 1t is not until they have
assembled, elected speaker, and been
arranged in committees, that they can
enter upon the work of legislation. If
congress does not meet until the usual
time in December, in the light of many
precedents little or nothing can be ex-
pected of it until the beginning of next
year, for it is well known that no congress
has attempted to do any real work until
after the holiday recess. An extra ses-
sion is always unpopular and the Pres
ident is anxious. of course, to avoid it,
but in order that some of the important
legislation to come up during the next
year may be matured in time, it is
thought to be the only alternative.
Those whose counsel is frequently sought
at the White House now say that the
contemplated extra sassion would begin
about the first of October and run along
into the regular session. and that the
questions ofrevenue and taxation would
receive attention first.
Another reason why it is deemed ex-
pedient to make the Fiftieth Congress
take advantage of extra time is the fact
tina: the next year will be devoted large
ly to President making. Although it
seem but yesterday since Mr.. Cleveland
was lnaugurated. yet only fifteen months
from now. will the National Convention
be held to nominate his successor. The
two great parties in congress, when they
assemble after the holiday recess, will be
surcharged with politics, and every
movement that is made at either end of
the Capital will have more or less re-
ference to candidates and politics and
the issues of the ensuing campaign.
Between the friends of the administra-
ton on the one hand, intent on maintain
ing its credit and vindicating its record,
and the opponents of the Administration
on the other. eager to disparage it in the
confidence of the people, between com
binations here and combinations there in
the interest of rival aspirants-the
Capitol will partake far more of the
character of an arena Of partisan con-
troversy than of serious and disin-
terested labor for the welfare of the coun-
try. Considering all this, the friends of
the Administration feel that the Presi-
dent would be entirely justified in pro-
noting the chances of legislation which
the public interests demand by the call
of an extra session.